Jazzlife: A Journey Across America 1960

[Allen H]

Has anybody purchased a copy of the new book “Jazzlife: A Journey Across America in 1960,” by William Claxton and Joachim Berendt, recently reissued in an expanded edition by the art books publisher Taschen? It recounts a 1959-60 cross-country tour devoted to discovering the state of jazz in some of the music’s main centers, including New York, Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Los Angeles and San Francisco. It is mostly a photography book but also includes commentary by Berendt which seems to be often acerbic but well-considered and provocative. Also included is a CD of “field recordings” done by Berendt during the tour, and I don’t know what that includes. Apparently the book was released in 1960 but has been long out of print, and I’ve never seen it before. But the new edition is said to add many photos not in the original edition. (BTW, don’t miss the New Orleans excerpt from the book in the December Jazz Times. It includes a photo of a kid playing trumpet at Louis Armstrong’s birthplace in James Alley, which I’m not sure even exists anymore.)

I would snap up this book in a minute, but it lists for $200. Amazon has it for $126, which is still a lot. As such, it has been placed on my “$100+” list along with the Jelly Roll Morton box set, a Jelly Roll Morton book from a few years ago that may or may not even still be available, the Dexter Gordon Prestige box, and various other amenities competing for budgetary inclusion such as, you know, furniture, dental work, tires, glasses….

But I digress. I’d just like to know a little more about the book before I buy, given the cost. I don’t think I’m going to be able to examine this one at the library or the bookstore, in all likelihood. I’m particularly interested in how much commentary there is by Berendt, since some of what I’ve read about the book seems to imply that the text is pretty incidental, and the text is maybe the main point of interest for me, even though the photography is going to be magnificent as well. Is it primarily a photography book or is the text more or less coequal? Any information would be appreciated.

[jazzy mary]

I read the New Orleans excerpt in Dec. JazzTimes and thought it was excellent. Some of the best stuff Jazztimes has published for awhile. Based on that small sample, I'd say the book sounds great. Have you checked half.com?

[Allen H]

Half.com doesn't seem to have it.

You know, this is probably the kind of thing that will turn up on the sale table at Borders or Barnes & Noble in a few years for $7 or something.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

I'm in at $7.